Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Time to hop on TheSunBlog Express for a little tour of the area’s major sports teams;

The 5-1 start has optimism running rampant, but we’ll have a better idea where the 2006 Patriots are heading after these next two weeks. The schedule has Bill Belichick’s troops in Minnesota for a Monday night meeting with the Vikings, then returning home for a Sunday night showdown against Peyton Manning and the Colts.

In the NFL, wins over quality opponents separate the men from the boys. The next two contests fall squarely into the “quality� category. I’d love to lump this New England squad with its Super Bowl predecessors, but I’m not sold quite yet. Images of the Broncos manhandling the Pats keep playing over and over in my mind, like a bad commercial. Head On, apply directly to the forehead!

Victories over the Vikes and Colts would go a long way toward curing my headache.

I’m dying to see the Bruins turn things around. I’m even willing to be patient. Honestly I am. So here’s my advice: Forget wins and losses. Concentrate on player development.

The big debate right now (isn’t it always?) involves the goaltenders. Is Hannu Toivonen a #1? I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out. Stick with him, through thick and thin. If Tim Thomas plays more than once every two weeks, I’ll lose faith in this new regime.

It’s bad enough we have to watch the Maple Leafs to find out if Andrew Raycroft is a legit NHL backstop. Let’s not make the same mistake with Toivonen.

P.S. Get a haircut kid. If you’re going to struggle in the macho world of pro hockey, you’d better not look like Manon Rheaume in the process.

If you haven’t seen Rajon Rondo yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. The Celtics rookie point guard provides a highlight reel play per game.

One night, it’s a one-handed dunk of a missed shot followed by a steal and layin off the inbounds pass. (Think Len Bias vs. North Carolina). Saturday, he stripped the ball from a Knick, drove the court, and then in one motion faked a behind the back pass and kissed it in off the glass. (Think Harlem Globetrotters)

Sebastian Telfair better put the Fabolous incident behind him, or his fabulous understudy is going to upstage him on the depth chart.

I can’t wait for the World Series to end. No so much because I’m not interested, but more so because I’m curious to see what the Red Sox have cooking in the hot stove.

Will they continue with the youth movement or make a run at established veterans through trade and free agency? Who will close now that Jonathan Papelbon is moving into the rotation? Will this be the off-season they finally move Manny Ramirez?

Here’s a prediction; if they do unload Manny but don’t add some protection to the batting order, David Ortiz won’t stay silent.

I believe the seeds have been planted. The happy-go-lucky Big Papi’s uncharacteristic rant about the MVP award was a sign of frustration at last season’s collapse. I think that frustration could very well boil over at his own front office if he senses another 3rd place finish on the horizon.

No inside info here…just a hunch.

What do you think?